


What Comes Next

by thereisnowyou



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Character Death, Fix-It of Sorts, Gay, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:20:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22094725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thereisnowyou/pseuds/thereisnowyou
Summary: After the incident at the court house Mickey and Ian have to figure out, on their own, and together what they want their future to look like. All while figuring out how to overcome the challenges of their past and dealing with the cards they have been dealt in life. Thankfully the Gallagher's are right behind them every step of the way.Set after 10x08, Follows canon up until that point.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 16
Kudos: 90





	1. Family Input

**Author's Note:**

> HI! This is my first fic in about 7 years so let me know if you have any suggestions or edits! This is my hopes and dreams and what I wish would happen following the events of 10x8 and will be a multi chapter of what their future holds.

Mickey looked down the stairs at Ian. Fuck. He thought to himself. He knew what he had just done was probably not the best option, but he also knew that before he could deal with any of that Ian needed medical attention. However, this was the Southside, and no one was paying for a fuckin’ ambulance so he did what he knew needed to be done and he called Lip,

“Hey Mick, What’s up?”

“Hey so uh Ian fell and fucked up his leg, can you bring him to the hospital?”

“Yeah of course, where’s he at?”

“City hall”

“Why the fuck is he there?”

“Doesn’t matter”

“Alright, I’ll be there in fifteen”

Mickey helped Ian sit up and they sat in an awkward silence till Lip showed up. Mickey helped him get Ian into the car before asking if he was all set to handle him on his own which was Lip’s first indication that something was fucking wrong, but he just said yes and let Mickey leave.

After five hours spent in the hospital Ian was able to leave, it was a small break and thankfully nothing that would require surgery. Lip helped Ian into the car and started driving home.

“So, uh you want to tell me what the fuck happened?”

“Not really but I don’t think that I have much of a choice in the matter”

“Not really but you can start with either why you were at city hall, how you “fell” or why Mickey didn’t come with us”

“Its all kind of the same shit

“I figured”

“We were at city hall to get married”

“What the FUCK Ian”

“Look like I told you I thought that he had popped our P. O. and I heard that if you’re married you can testify against each other so I uh asked him if he wanted to marry me and he said yes!”

“I’m confused how does this lead to you having a broken leg.”

“So we were waiting to get like married and his old P. O. sent him a video and they had arrested who actually killed Paula and it turned out that I guess we had both thought that the other had killed her but then Mickey asked me of that was the only reason that I had proposed and he was really mad but he still signed the papers.”

“And I’m guessing that you didn’t”

“No, I don’t know man I love Mickey but marriage is a really big step and Frank and Monica weren’t exactly the greatest example.”

“You think I don’t know that? I spend every day of my life trying to make sure I’m a better dad to Fred than he was to us.”

“Hey, you already are man, you stuck around for more than 24 hours.”

“Thanks man but that’s not the point here.”

“I know but you get what I mean marriage is just a lot and I never really grew up with a good example of what marriage was so I got scared”

“You think we’re the only southside family who didn’t grow up with a picture-perfect marriage to look up to”

“I’m not trynna say I’m special or anything but it just freaks me out I don’t wanna end up like Monica” 

“I know I’m just saying that you weren’t the only one involved in this marriage with family baggage”

At this point they had just walked into the usually sporadically filled Gallagher house that on this particular night was filled with all of the Gallagher siblings. Debbie looked up from her phone

“Who’s getting married?”

“Ian”

“What the FUCK Ian”

“I’m not getting married”

“No because he fucked it up, he proposed to Mick cause he thought that Mick popped their P. O. and when he found out that he didn’t he got cold feet”

“What the fuck Ian?”

“As I was just telling Lip we didn’t really grow up with the best example pf a healthy marriage so I guess I just got scarred”

Carl walked in from the kitchen and plopped down into one of the chairs. “And you think Mickey did? Didn’t their mom die like a million years ago?”

“Yeah when I was dating Mandy, she told me how her mom died when she was super young like she wasn’t even one yet or some shit, so Mickey was what maybe 2 and then to have Terry for a dad? Look we all know the Frank and Monica fucked us up and were never parents of the year, but more than once Terry has beat the shit out of both you and Mickey for your relationship.”

“Yeah Lip’s right,” Debbie chimed in, “I mean imagine how much shit Terry pulled when they were younger”

“Look I know that we both didn’t have happy childhoods but like marriage is a big step and I don’t know if I’m ready for it, we’re tied together pretty much for life”

“Dude he fucking willingly went to prison to be with you,” Carl chimed in

“Look Ian, do what ever you want, but what I’m saying and I think Debs and Carl agree with me, is that marriage is a big deal and no one in this situation had a good role model but Mick was ready and willing to marry you, he escaped prison to be with you, he went to fuckin prison to be with you, hell he fucking came out for you. Marriage or not I don’t think you two are breaking up any time, but I do think you just hurt someone you love by being a fucking pussy.”

Ian groaned and sunk further into the couch. Liam walked in with his head in his phone, “Who’s getting married?”

“Ian and Mickey,” Debbie answered

“Oh finally,” he commented before walking out the front door. 

“See even Liam knows and he was a fucking baby when you two started fucking,” Lip said, and he looked at Ian who was head in his hands on the couch. 

Ian knew that his family was right and that everything they said was true, Mickey really had done all of those things to be with Ian or for Ian. “Look guys I hear what you’re saying but after this I doubt, he’ll ever want to see me again”

“Dude he voluntarily went to prison to be with you! And if he didn’t care he wouldn’t have called me and then waited with you for me to get there. I think you need to talk to him though because you definitely have quite a lot to talk about.”

Ian sighed and pulled out his phone because he knew that his family was right. He wrote a text to Mickey and hopped that he’d get an answer.

Ian: Hey Mick, we need to talk


	2. Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lip and Ian talk like brothers do and Lip gives advice only a brother can give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks! I know this is a bit shorter than last chapter but I decided to split this into chapters 2 and 3 to make it more clear and split. Chapter 3 will be up soon though! this is somewhat influenced by last night's episode but not fully.

Ian slumped farther into the couch and Lip texted Tami that he might not be in for a while.

“He hasn’t texted you back?”

“No and I’m beginning to wonder if he ever will. I mean where the hell is, he? All his stuff is here, where is he going to sleep?”

“Calm down, he’s a big boy I’m sure he’ll figure it out and I’m sure he’ll also text you back just give him some time.”

“I know he’s an adult but uh if you haven’t noticed,” Ian motioned down to his leg, “he isn’t the greatest at expressing his emotions.”

“Yeah and just like you need to work on figuring out exactly why you didn’t wanna marry him he needs to work on that because punching you isn’t okay either.”

“I guess we both have shit to work on”

“yeah who doesn’t but the question is do you want to work on it together or not”

“Do you think that I should marry him?”

“I think that if you’re so bent out of shape about this it’s because you do love him and that seems like the kind of love that although a little rough around the edges is what people get married for. However, I do think that you really need to take a hard look at why you didn’t sign those papers today. I know you were scared but of what.”

The brothers were both quiet and with Liam up in his room, Carl off doing something probably illegal and Debbie god knows where the rest of the house was pretty quiet too. 

Lip looked at his younger brother who he had been protecting for most of his life. With Fiona gone he knew he needed to look after Ian and make sure he stayed on his meds and out of trouble. He’d spent the last almost 10 years watching Ian go out with men who were way to old for him at the time and in the last few years have a couple of genuinely good boyfriends but no matter what at the end of the day it would always come back to Mickey Milkovich and that was something Lip had learned a while ago. Ian would come home beaten and bruised from Terry and he cared far more about Mickey than himself and even though they were both absolutely fucked sometimes he knew that his brother was going to be with Mickey for the rest of their lives.

Ian looked over at his brother. He knew Lip was right, he usually was, and Lip knew him better than pretty much anyone else. He’d been there for Ian for his entire life. No matter how badly he fucked up Lip was always there making sure he was okay and that hadn’t changed from being 14 and scared to now being 23 and having a crisis over marriage. He knew that no one would fully understand is fears because they were so personal, but he knew Lip was probably one of the only people he could ever really tell about this.

“I just don’t get how he can be okay with marrying someone like me, I mean I don’t know who I’m going to be from day to day, why- how could someone love that and want to marry that? Why would he want that as his future?”

“Look Ian I know that your diagnosis and everything changed so many things for you but at the end of the day you’re still you and yes you have manic episodes and you have depressive episodes which you manage with the medication but yes it can still change I know. But when you were 17 and showing the symptoms and Debbie came over and told Mick he was ready and willing to take care of you. He isn’t perfect and neither are you, but he loves you for you and he chooses to stay and love you even though tomorrow you could wake up and not leave your bed for a week. He loves you anyway and so do we, your diagnosis isn’t something that makes you unworthy of someone’s love, even your own.”

“When did you become so wise?,” Ian cracked smiling 

“I don’t know, maybe it comes with being a dad?”

Ian and Lip were both laughing when Ian’s phone buzzed

Mickey: yeah. We do.


	3. A Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey Calls the one person who can maybe help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 3! Chapter 4 should hopefully see Mickey and Ian finally sitting down and talking

Mickey left Ian with Lip and went back to the Milkovich house and just prayed that Terry wasn’t home because it was the only place that he could think to go. Thankfully no one was home and he was able to run to his old bedroom and lock the door, shutting himself off from the rest of the house.

What the fuck had he been thinking trying to get married to Ian, he wasn’t meant to be happy, that had to be it. Every time things were going good, some shit would happen and Ian would leave or in this case wouldn’t sign the piece of fucking paper. Mickey sighed; he remembered the days when he thought that’s all it was a piece of fucking paper because with Svetlana that was all it was. A piece of fucking paper and a way to keep himself alive. But with Ian that shit was different, he actually loved him and that wasn’t something that had been easy for Mickey to understand or accept. Hell, it still scared him shitless how much he loved Ian. 

He fucked up though by fucking hitting him and leaving. He didn’t know what to do or where to turn. He just laid in his bed and hopped maybe he could sleep this shit off for a while to just forget. 

Turned out that he could do just that until Ian texted him but he wasn’t ready to answer, and he wasn’t sure when he would be but he knew he needed to do something. He looked at the time and it was a little past 7 so he decided to call the one person he knew could help him, at least a little bit. 

“Hey Mick, what’s up?”

“Hey Mandy, I uh just needed to talk are you busy?”

“Nah I just got out of work, what the fuck happened to make you call me?”

“I uh almost married Gallagher today”

“What the actual fuck Mickey”

“He proposed and I guess it was all because he thought that I popped that bitch P. O. that we had but I thought it was because he loved me but when he found out that I didn’t kill her he got cold feet.”

“There is so much to fucking unpack here. So, you’re really fucking telling me that you almost married Ian Gallagher today”

“Yeah and then I instead punched him, and he tripped down the courthouse stairs and broke his fucking leg.”  
“Mickey… dads gonna fucking kill you”

“I know he made that abundantly clear the other day when I asked his advice when I thought that Ian popped at P. O.”

“Wait I’, confused, so you both thought that the other killed this bitch parole officer?”

“Yeah but I wasn’t about to get married just for protection, it means more than that. Fucking piece of paper.”

“You really do fucking love him don’t you”

“What kinda stupid fucking questions is that? Of course, I love him”

“Honestly I never thought I’d see this day”

“The fuck you mean”

“The day where you were okay enough to marry him or any guy for that matter, but I knew it would be Ian always. But just for you to be this okay with being you is something that I never thought would happen”

“yeah me fucking either but look how well that shit turned out, fucking stood up at city hall. I was so fucking mad, but I still signed those papers and he couldn’t even fucking do it. And then he starts going on about how Frank and Monica weren’t the best example of marriage like we grew up with the worlds best fucking parents, shit I didn’t even have two parents.”

“Look I know better than anyone what it’s like to date a fucking Gallagher and I mean Lip has a lot less baggage than Ian and I have a lot less than you”

“The fuck are you saying”

“Look Ian is bipolar, just like his mom, and I can’t imagine that doesn’t impact his life and I know you’re gonna tell me that he’s fucking fine and taking his meds but he can still experience symptoms and if you think you got out of the house with out Terry traumatizing the shit out of you I think you need to look at the scars from all his fucking beatings cause of you being gay”

“The fuck does any of that matter, we fucking love each other or well I thought we did”

“It matters because even though Ian fucking loves you shit like that is still holding him back”

“Look I know all that shits there but I love him, I love him when he’s having a perfect day and I see him on his work break and I love him when he can’t get out of bed for a week. And yeah Terry fucking sucks and I knew marrying him was a risk because Terry might very well try and kill me but I love him and he’s worth it all the beatings and shit have been worth it to be free.”

“So fucking tell him that not me”

“Fuck”

“Yeah I know it’s hard, let me know how it goes okay?”

“Yeah I will, thanks”

“Anytime”

Mickey put down his phone and thought about what Mandy had just said before he picked his phone back up and texted Ian.


	4. Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey talk things out and begin the long process of healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks! 3 chapters in 1 day, I guess I'm on a roll with this story. Hopefully next chapter is up sometime either tomorrow or Wednesday!
> 
> Let me know what y'all think and if you have any suggestions!

Mickey didn’t really want to go to the Gallagher house, but he didn’t want to bring Ian to his house, especially not to talk about marriage, and he wasn’t so keen on doing that in public either. So, there we was at 10PM walking over to the Gallagher house because god did he just want this shit to be fucking over.

Ian was honestly shocked that Mickey had agreed to come over. Lip had gone out to the camper to be with Fred and Tami, but he told Ian if he needed him just to call, but he had a feeling Ian would be alright with out him for the rest of the night. Ian was pacing as best he could when Mickey walked in, knocking on the Gallagher’s door was something of the past for him, and as soon as he saw Mickey his heart both shattered and beat right thru his chest.

They decided to go upstairs which Mickey was thankful for, he was used to the Gallagher’s and was honestly pretty found of the kids but he didn’t exactly want this conversation to be interrupted.

Ian sat down on the bed hoping Mickey would join him but he could see that Mickey was guarded and because of that he was standing six feet away from Ian with his arms tightly folded across his chest but Ian could see him biting is lip and knew that behind the wall he was nervous too.

Mickey looked at Ian, he felt so fucking bad about his leg. He could see the stress on Ian’s face, but he was still hurt, even after talking to Mandy the hurt hadn’t just gone away. He chose not to sit next to Ian because he knew if he got to close he wouldn’t be able to help himself from comforting Ian. He hated the silence between them and how tense it was but more than anything he hated how all he wanted was to hold Ian even though he was so unbelievably angry with him. 

However, he was angry and he was here to talk so he decided to break the silence, “ So what the fuck you wanna talk about”

“Mick you and I both know what I wanna talk about”

“Yeah well uh I signed the fuckin papers so I think you’re the one who needs to do the fuckin talking”

“Mickey, I love you and I fuckin mean that I love you so much and that’s why I couldn’t sign the fucking papers because how can I let you marry someone like me”

“The fuck do you mean someone like you”

“I’m bipolar Mick, I have to rely on fucking meds to keep me from going off the fucking rails and even then I can still have an episode!”

“Jesus fucking Christ Ian when will you fucking realize that shit doesn’t matter to me. I know you’re fucking bipolar! I watched you go through it and I had to call your little sister over for help, you kidnapped my fucking kid! I know that you are bipolar, but it doesn’t affect my love for you because I love you and that means all of you from the mania to the completely boring lunch breaks at the mall food court. Why can’t you fucking see that!”

“I don’t want you to have to live a life like that though, taking care of me, praying I stay on my meds, dealing with me not leaving bed for weeks at a time. You deserve so much more than me! So much more than I have ever given you and I just was thinking about all of it and I couldn’t make that your forever.”

“Hey, you don’t get to make those types of choices for me. I have a fucking memory and I remember every time I’ve had to say goodbye to you and every time, I felt like I couldn’t breathe because I was hooked on a fucking Gallagher. And look neither of us are fucking perfect I put you through some fucking shit too, all the fucking times my dad has beat you, hell I fucking punched you today. But you’re still here and you still asked me over because we fucking love each other but I can’t keep doing this shit. You can’t keep leaving me Ian I can’t fucking do it anymore. Either you’re in or you’re out.”

“I’m sorry for today I just wanted to protect you and to protect us, we just got out of fucking prison and I don’t want either of us to ever go back. I love you Mick and I’m always gonna be all in but standing there today all I could think about was how could you love me? How can you love someone like me not knowing if you’re going to wake up in the morning and I won’t leave the bed? How could I sign you up for that life?”

“Hey, you’re not signing me up for anything. I am signing myself up for a life with the man I have loved since I was 16. I am signing myself up to love you through the good, the bad, the manic, and everything in between. I love you for you and that includes loving you through all of it. I know what I’m signing up for and that’s why I signed the fucking papers.”

Ian just looked up at Mickey. He couldn’t believe that this is where they ended up. Tis was a conversation he never imagined was a reality when he was 15. This was something so outside of anything he ever thought would be possible. 

Mickey looked at Ian and fuck he was 30 seconds away from crying and completely losing his shit but he knew he had to keep it together at least for a little while. He couldn’t believe this was even his real life at this fucking point. He never thought he would ever come out or be with Ian openly never mind sitting here yelling about fucking marriage.

“Look Mick, I’m all in. I don’t know what that means or what the next step is but I’m all in forever.”

“Jesus Christ Ian,” and in that moment Mickey fucking broke and all of the walls came down. He walked towards the bed where Ian was sitting and took Ian’s hand. Ian used his free hand to gently hold Mickey’s face. He leaned his head forward so that their foreheads were touching. Both of them were crying and neither of them cared. 

“I love you Mickey”

“I love you too, Ian”


	5. 6 in the Fuckin Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some in between material but I really like how this chapter came out. Not exactly sure where this is going but I like it! Let me know if you have any ideas on what should come next!

Debbie walked into the house after having just spent her night out with her, well she didn’t know what the fuck it was, but she had gotten a text from Lip to check on Ian when she came home because Mickey had come over to talk and he hadn’t heard from Ian but Tami was afraid if he left the camper it would wake Fred. So, Debbie walked upstairs not super sure as to what she would find. She peaked her head into Ian’s room and saw him and Mickey asleep and holding onto each other for dear life. She could see that they had both been crying. She turned off the light and shut the door, just as she was about to text Lip, she heard him come into the house.

Debbie walked downstairs and met Lip in the kitchen,

“Hey, I thought you couldn’t leave the RV?”

“Well Fred woke up to eat so I figured it was a good time to see what was up”

“They’re asleep together in Ian’s room, I just turned off the light”  
Having heard Debbie and Lip in the kitchen Carl and Liam both came downstairs.

“Hey, did uh either of you hear anything?”

Carl cracked open a beer, “Yeah I heard some yelling, but it didn’t last for very long”

Liam looked up from his phone, “Yeah I heard them for a while, it sounds like they definitely made up, I just think the big question now is do we plan for a wedding or not”

Lip rubbed his head, “Yeah I can’t even fucking think about tonight, lets just see what happens in the morning.”

***  
In the morning Ian woke up to the normal chaotic sounds of his house between his siblings and their kids. He also woke upholding Mickey and that made the fact that it was 6AM feel a lot less awful. He pressed a kiss against the back of Mickey’s head, and he could feel Mickey start to turn towards him.

Mickey was half asleep and god were the Gallagher’s so fucking loud, but he was more than happy to wake up at 6AM if it meant he was waking up in Ian’s arms. He turned to face Ian and when he did Ian kissed him.

‘What do you want to do,” Ian asked Mickey, he didn’t know what their next steps were he was just happy that whatever they were they were taking them together.

“Well before we do anything, we should probably go down there because I think that’s probably what your entire family is waiting for.”

Ian laughed he knew that Mickey was right and that whoever turned the light off had been sent up to check on him last night and report back. They got out of the bed and walked downstairs. Debbie was at the table with Liam, Franny, and Carl and Lip was making coffee while Tami walked around bouncing Fred up and down.

“Morning,” Lip said as he watched his brother and Mickey walk down, “Coffee?” he asked and both of them nodded eagerly at him. Mickey went and sat down at the table while Ian went over to say hi to baby Fred. 

Once everyone was around the table, Ian and Mickey being right next to each other with Ian’s arm around Mickey, Lip asked what was probably the million-dollar question. “So, you to uh getting hitched or what?”

Mickey looked like a deer in the fucking headlights at that question one because fuck if he knew the answer and another because even though Ian’s entire fucking family and the entire fucking southside knew he was gay it still fucking terrified him that they did. 

Ian looked at Mickey and saw the familiar panic in his eyes that he got sometimes when people openly acknowledged that they were dating. He kissed Mickey’s hair and looked at his brother, “Yeah, we are”

“Well,” Lip said smiling and looking at his brother and Mickey, “Looks like we have a Gallagher wedding to plan because you’re not getting away with that fucking city hall bullshit again.”

Ian smiled and laughed at his brother and looked at Mickey who looked bot terrified but also so happy. And Mickey was both, he couldn’t believe where he was. Sitting at the fuckin Gallagher kitchen table at 6:30 in the fuckin morning with Lip Gallagher telling him and his boyfriend? Fiancé? He wasn’t sure. That they were gonna have to start planning a real, actual wedding. His real, actual wedding, that meant something, to the man he loved more than he knew was possible. 

Who would have fuckin thunk.


	6. Gallagher's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey spends some time with Ian's siblings and they ask him the big questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing Mickey interacting with Ian's siblings. I think next chapter will be wedding planning and maybe some of the tough conversations! Let me know what y'all think!

Ian had to go to work to figure out how e was going to work with his leg this fucked up and he needed to go to the parole office and get a new P. O., Mickey had just gone back to Larry. So, Mickey stayed at the Gallagher house to work on some shit. 

He was sitting at the table with Carl and Liam when Debbie came in. 

“Fuck my sitter cancelled, can either of you watch Franny?”

She looked at her younger brothers and they both got up

“Sorry, can’t work.”

“Can’t, gotta go help Todd”

Debbie groaned, “Fuck!”

Mickey wasn’t sure what the fuck he was on that made him think of the great idea he just had but he looked up at Debbie, “I can watch her”

Debbie looked at him her eye brows raised, “You?”

“Fuck you I had my own fucking kid but if you don’t want me to watch your spawn have fun finding someone else to”

“No no, thank you I appreciate you watching her”

“don’t mention it”

Debbie had honestly forgotten Mickey had a kid, but she was so fucking thankful he offered to watch Franny. She knew that if she asked the question se wanted to ask that it was poking the bear, but she decided to ask anyway.

“So, do you uh wanna have kids, like with Ian”

Mickey looked at her confused

“Do either of us look like fuckin chicks to you?”

“There are other ways to have kids”

Mickey didn’t really know how to respond. He had never really thought about it, never thought he’d be in a place where someone would ask him if he wanted kids with Ian.

“I don’t know,” he answered her honestly, “I guess I never really thought about it”

“Well, I think you and Ian would be great dads”

She ran upstairs and brought down Franny who had been napping.

“So she should be good for the next couple hours, there’s food and snacks here and shit if she needs it but she’s honestly a pretty quiet kid.”

“Sounds good”

“Thanks again Mickey”

Honestly, for a toddler and for a Gallagher Franny was surprisingly calm. He sat her down next to him on the couch with some apples and peanut butter and threw on some cartoons. They’d been watching for a couple hours when he got a text from Ian.

Ian: Hey you want to grab lunch?

He texted back and told him that he couldn’t cause he was watching Franny for Debs and we could fuckin feel Ian’s shock through the phone. These fucking Gallagher’s had really forgotten he had his own fucking kid. 

A few hours later Carl came back from work smelling like fried shrimp. He walked in handed Mickey a beer and sat down in one of the chairs in the living room.

“How did you know you loved Ian?”

Mickey looked at Carl with his face contorted, what the fuck was with the Gallagher kids and these questions today, Jesus Christ. 

“the fuck you asking questions like that for?”

“I’m unlucky in love, how did you find it with my brother?”

Mickey sighed and rubbed his face, he knew Carl was two things dumb and not the greatest at love. So, he knew that the kid was really just asking because he was fuckin clueless.

“I don’t know, it was a lot of little moments”

“Like what”

“I don’t know, I think I knew it and I couldn’t deny it when he left and went off to the Army. He left cause of me and all my shit cause of my dad and Lana and shit. I could feel it when I got married and when he came to see Mandy but I think that I really knew that I was in this when I went to this fuckin gay bar, all these old fuckers trynna get with him and he was all fuckin coked out and I carried him home and my wife wanted to fuckin kill me but I stayed up all night just watching him fuckin sleep and all that gay shit and fuck was I hooked”

“You to have really been through some shit huh”

“Yeah but I don’t regret it”

Just then Ian walked in the front door and immediately came behind Mickey to press a kiss in his hair.

“Don’t regret what?”

“Loving your ass”


	7. Kids?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey have one of those big conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks!
> 
> Sorry about the wait but I just started school up again but I hope to get out a chapter every week or so! Let me know what you think!

Ian and Mickey escaped up to Ian’s bedroom after helping clean up from dinner. 

“So, uh what led you to watching Franny today?”

“Debbie’s sitter fell through, so I offered, I know how to take care of a kid and hers is pretty fuckin quiet, so it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Look at you, Uncle Mickey” Ian leaned over and kissed Mickey’s cheek. Mickey jokingly pushed him back onto the bed laughing. He sat down in the bed next to Ian and turned towards him.

“Debbie asked me today if I wanted kids”

Ian looked at Mickey shocked at what he had just said, “What did you tell her?”

“I told her that I don’t know, I honestly never thought about it”

“Oh” Ian said, and Mickey could hear the slightly deflated tone in Ian’s voice. 

“Look I always thought I’d just fuck some skanky neighborhood girl one day or some shit never really expected to be doing this and I mean I do already do have a kid and that whole shit was a fuckin disaster so I never really imagined I’d get to this point”

Ian sighed and pulled Mickey into his chest, kissing the top of his head. Mickey smiled into Ian’s chest and pulled his head back, “What about you?”

“What?”

“Do you want kids?”

Ian was shocked to say the least, first that they were even having this conversation and second that Mickey had actually just asked him if he wanted children. He was completely blown away.

“I never really thought about it a lot ya know? Growing up I expected to join the military and help raise Debs, Carl, and Liam when I wasn’t doing that. But now Debbie and Carl are grown which is fuckin wild, I mean Debbie has her own fucking kid and Liam is 10 and I mean of course we’re all gonna raise him but he’s doing better than any of the rest of us was at 10. Plus the whole bi polar thing I’d be so fucking afraid of being Monica, not being able to do it and just fuckin leaving. But then there’s you and I don’t know I could really imagine having a family with you.”

Ian had gotten quieter as he said that last part and he kid of folded into himself a little, kind of scared at how Mickey would react to what he had just said. He had thought about it since he was 16, having a life with Mickey, getting married and adopting a couple kids.. hell it was something he dreamed about a lot but he never thought that Mickey would ever in a million years be into it.

Mickey watched Ian coil up into himself and put his head down. Mickey had never imagined he’d be having this conversation with Ian, hell with any one especially not a guy. He reached out and lifted up Ian’s head.

“Hey, I’m not making any promises, but I could really imagine having a family with you too so, ya know, maybe one day.”

Mickey watched a smile spread across Ian’s face and he reached out and kissed him. 

******

The next morning Ian and Mickey were up by 6 with the rest of the house and walked downstairs to Lip handing them both a coffee. Debbie ran down the stairs with Franny on her hip.

“So, when are you to gonna start wedding planning”

“Uh we don’t really know the first thing about wedding planning”

“I’ll help you guys!”

Ian and Mickey both looked at each other a little scared but they agreed to sit down with Debbie when they both got home from work that night.


	8. When Did You Know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talking about Love and Hate

Ian and Mickey fell into the bed with both of their arms full of the wedding magazines that Debbie and Sandy had thrown at them. How they ended up having not only Debbie but Sandy helping to plan the wedding they weren’t sure, and Ian and Mickey didn’t really want to know. Ian sat up and put their stacks of magazines on the dresser.

He laid back down next to Mickey and he pulled the smaller man into his chest placing a kiss to his hair. Mickey relaxed into Ian’s chest and smiled to himself. Ian took Mickey’s hand in his and the two of them just sat there intertwined for a while.

Mickey honestly couldn’t believe that this was his real life and that he was actually able to be with Ian. He finally for once in his life felt safe and that was something he was still getting used to. He was thinking about all of that when Ian’s voice broke through his thoughts. 

“When did you know you loved me?” it was soft and gentle, and Mickey could tell Ian had been thinking about it for a while. Mickey rolled over so that he was still in Ian’s arms but was facing him.

He could see from the look in Ian’s eyes that he was scared. Mickey smiled at him softly and put his hand on Ian’s cheek and kissed him gently.

“I knew I felt something for you the day I saw you with that fuckin old guy and I knew I loved you the day Terry caught us. I knew I couldn’t live with out you when you fucked off to the army”

Ian locked honestly shocked by Mickey’s answer and Mickey watched as a silent tear rolled down his pale cheek.

“I knew I loved you the first time you went to juvie god it fucked me up. God, Mick. I’ve loved you since I was 15. I know I’ve fucked up, we both have, but I have so many times but I never want to lose you again.”

Mickey smiled and leaned forward kissing Ian’s forehead. He couldn’t believe this is where he was his fucking life. They were gonna get fucking married. He couldn’t believe it. How had this ever become his life. 

They fell asleep that night with their arms wrapped around each other both smiling in their sleep. 

**

The next morning the Gallagher’s woke up to the sounds of a window breaking and Carl was the first downstairs to see the small fire that was beginning top light in their living room. He was quick to put the fire out and as Ian and Mickey hit the bottom of the stairs Ian turned to Mickey.

“So, I guess Terry knows about the engagement”

“Fuck I’d say so”

Carl, Debbie, and Tami all looked back at Ian and Mickey, horrified. Lip just nodded because he’d been through this with Ian years ago. Debbie looked at Sandy for confirmation that her uncle was really this fucking crazy and she just nodded.

Liam looked over at the two men, “So you’re telling me Terry Milkovich is so homophobic he was ready to kill us all.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it, this is nothing new”

Mickey sighed and rubbed his face, “Yeah, Terry’s a fucking psycho, always has been, always fucking will be goddamn homophobic Nazi”

The Gallagher’s were all horrified, but they took it as it was and went to the kitchen to start breakfast. 

Everyone got their food and coffee and sat down at the table. Ian walked over to Lip and took Fred from him sitting down next to Mickey with his nephew in his lap. 

Tamie was quick to be the first to speak, “So who the fuck is Terry and why is he trying to kill us because of Ian and Mickey dating?”

“My fucking dad”

Tami looked pretty horrified as Mickey said that. 

“The real question,” Debbie started, “Is what are we gonna do about it?”


	9. What do we do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gallagher's discuss what to do with a Terry Milkovich sized problem

They had no idea what they were going to do about Terry, yet. But they had bigger things to worry about because the world didn’t stop turning just because Terry was a psychopath. Ian and Mickey were both at jobs that they loved in Ian’s case and in Mickey’s case he didn’t hate it. They went through their week going to work and coming home to watch shitty movies and help take care of what ever kid needed to be taken care of that day. Each night looking through wedding magazines and sending photos of shit they liked to Debbie and Sandy.

As Friday rolled around, they were all getting together o have a family dinner since between jobs and baby’s life was so hectic. Ian and Mickey were in charge of dessert which meant that they had run to the local supermarket for a sheet cake and some beer. When they got back to the house Debbie was finishing up the pasta and everyone started to gather around the table. As they all sat down Debbie looked at them all.

“So, what are we gonna do about Terry because he keeps fucking patrolling the house and my daughter lives here”

“Yeah,” Tami started, “I don’t really love the idea of some psychopath patrolling our house when I’m in the back with my kid”

“Yeah, and I don’t love that the psychopath in question is my fuckin father but here we are”

They heard the front door open and all turned. Frank was stumbling in clearly drunk and they could smell him all the way in the kitchen.

“Speaking of shitty fathers…” Lip Started as Frank entered the kitchen.

“That is no way to talk to the head of this household, you should all respect me”

“Fuck off Frank”

Frank glared at the children and grabbed a beer and went upstairs to shower and probably steal one of the boy’s clothes.

“Any who, we need to do something because I think Terry might actually try and kill Mickey”

Mickey looked up from his pasta, “That’s exactly what he’s going to do. I don’t think you guys understand that he actually wants me fucking dead because of this. He has beaten me mercilessly since I was like 12 fucking years old because of this. At first it was a hunch because I wouldn’t fuck some neighborhood girl who was over. Then when he caught me, caught us, it only got worse. He is never going to let me be happy, one of us is going to have to die.”

Everyone looked at Mickey and looked at Ian for confirmation that this man was really that fucking homophobic. Debbie was the first to speak up.

“So, we kill him”

“Deb’s we can’t kill Terry Milkovich”

“Okay so we get him arrested, he’s definitely out on parole so what if we frame him for something”

“We tried that once and it didn’t go well”

Mickey turned to Ian, “The fuck?”

“I’ll explain later”

“Okay this is dangerous but what if we like have him start a fight with Mickey and call the cops, get it counted as a hate crime”

“I don’t want Mickey getting hurt”

“Calm down Ian, Debs might be on to something. We’ll all be around make sure nothing gets too out of hand and no guns or anything are drawn and we get him on a hate crime, that definitely breaks his parole, what do you think Mick?”

“Fuck it, it’s worth a shot”


	10. Heart Attack

It would turn out that they wouldn’t have to frame Terry Milkovich because a diet solely of beer, cigarettes, meth, and fast food would kill him that night. 

Mickey was in bed with Ian his arm draped across Ian’s torso when his phone rang. He grumbled and rolled over to get his phone, immediately grumpy that he no longer had Ian’s body heat warming him. He looked at the time it was 3AM and his brother was calling him. There wasn’t a single good reason he could think of for Iggy to be calling him at 3AM. He answered the phone, already pissed and cold.

“What the fuck do you want?”

“Dad had a heart attack Mick”

“What?”

“He he came in yelling about something and then he just fuckin collapsed, we called the ambulance”

“Oh”

“Yeah we’re going to the hospital now, not sure if he’s gonna make it man”

“Okay”

“You gonna come?”

“Dunno, I’ll text you I guess”

“Okay bye”

“Yeah bye”

Mickey hung up the phone and let out a sigh. His phone conversation had woken up Ian and he rolled over to look at Mickey. He was half awake and confused.

“Who was that?”

“Iggy, my uh dad had a heart attack”

Ian immediately woke up. He looked at Mickey searching his face for a sign of emotion or what he was feeling.

“They’re uh going to the hospital now, asked if I was gonna come but I told him I don’t know”

“Do you want to go?”

“No but also yes, Kind of want to see him like that, can’t hurt me, can’t hurt us”

“I’ll go with you”

Mickey sighed and Ian could hear how shakey it was. He reached out and pulled him close. “Do you want to go?”

Mickey nodded silently into Ian’s chest. Ian kissed his hair and got up throwing on clothes and throwing clothes over to Mickey. They got dressed and headed out the door borrowing Debbie’s car and writing her a quick note.

They rode silently over to the hospital. When they walked in Iggy, Sandy, and Jamie were all standing together. Sandy walked over to him, “He’s dead”

Mickey felt like the world around him was crashing. He should be happy. Terry was dead but, in that moment,, everything felt like it was burning around him. Ian could see it in his eyes. Mickey was not okay. He wrapped his arms around Mickey, and it was a good thing because Mickey immediately crumpled and burst into tears.


	11. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ahh so sorry for such a long break, hoping to get on a more consistent schedule soon!!

Mickey new he in theory should be happy, he no longer had to fear for his or Ian’s life. Yet sitting there in the cold sterile hospital, Ian’s arms the only thing keeping him upright he was loosing it. After a few minutes he felt Ian lead him out the door to the car and buckle him in. keeping a hand intertwined with Mickey’s as best he could as he drove home. It was four in the morning when they got home and Ian helped Mickey up to bed carefully helping him back into the bed and wrapping his arms around Mickey. He never said a word, he didn’t have to. He knew Mickey wasn’t really a talker, but he would when he was ready. What he needed now was just a steady hand to keep him above water.

Ian woke up at eight the next day, calling them both out of work citing a death, and then shooting off a text to his siblings about what happened before taking his meds and climbing back into bed with Mickey. They laid there, Ian holding Mickey while he slept till he woke up at eleven. There was a moment of tangible peace before the reality of the night before hit Mickey and suddenly he was a wreck again, shaking in Ian’s arms. Ian who just pulled him close and pressed a silent kiss into Mickey’s dark hair.

Eventually he calmed down, and they just laid there in a sad silence until mickey turned over and burrowed his face into Ian’s chest. “I shouldn’t be upset, this is a fucking good thing”

“Hey,” Ian pulled back a little putting his hand under Mickey’s chin. “There’s no wrong or right way to deal with this shit. Yeah he was an awful fucking person but he was your dad and there’s still emotions tied to that and it’s also something where now we don’t have to live and fear and that’s an overwhelming feeling”

“What did I ever do to fucking deserve you?”

“I am pretty great, aren’t I?”

Mickey made a face but kissed Ian and burrowed back into his collarbone, he had no intentions of facing the world today and every intention of staying wrapped in Ian’s arms.


	12. Peace

It was a month later that they were standing at the altar. Sandy and Debs had helped them to plan a wedding for the ages, and they’d fallen for each other along the way. It was the kind of day Ian had always dreamed about and the kind of day Mickey had been afraid to dream of. 

They had spent ten years trying to figure this thing out, figure out who they were and admitting how much they loved each other. Ten years of dealing with homophobia, both internalized and external, mental illness, trauma, prison, and every other challenge that the world had thrown at them. Still, they had come out on the other side. 

They had woken up that morning, Ian had taken his pills and everyone asked him if he had. They got ready and the entire Gallagher family worked their asses off to make it happen. They said I do in front of everyone they loved and who loved them. They danced the night away, Mickey dancing with Franny, who had a clear favorite uncle. Ian missed him mom, but when he looked into Mickey’s eyes he knew that everything was going to be okay. 

It had been a long ten years but finally they had some peace and a love that would carry them through whatever came next.


End file.
